NBTC rush to send out set-top box coupons
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The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission is busily solving a list of problems in its digital TV set-top box scheme as it races to meet the October 15 release of coupons that will allow millions of households to purchase the device.
The NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said that the watchdog had tried to plug all possible loopholes in the distribution process.
Takorn said a main problem was the Department of Provincial Administration had just told the NBTC it can’t print the identity card data of coupon recipients as the data is confidential.
The NBTC had planned to do that in order to show digital TV set-top box suppliers that they were the real coupon owners.
“We’re solving this issue. We might ask the Department of Provincial Administration to deliver the coupons to homes as it has a database of households,” Takorn said.
According to the original plan, the watchdog wanted to hire Thailand Post Co to mail the coupons to people’s home.
Takorn said the Government Lottery Office (GLO) might be unable to meet the deadline to finish printing five million coupons within a month.
The watchdog plans to give away five million coupons in 11 provinces in the first stage of the scheme and then another seven million, with both amounts slated to be distributed within this year.
In talks with printers
Takorn said that the NBTC was in talks with Chan Wanich, a security printing company, to assume the printing task instead of the GLO. It was also talking to the firm about the possibility of it lowering the printing fee below the Bt2.85 per coupon rate offered by the GLO.
He said the NBTC was also concerned about the rumour that some prospective box suppliers might import low-quality boxes to improve their profit margin.
The value of the coupon is Bt690. Some prospective suppliers are even rumoured to have planned to offer cash for the coupon receipts so boxes are not purchased and they avoid the cost of providing a compulsory warranty service on them.
Takorn said NBTC would inspect the inventory of suppliers to prevent this possible fraud.
